Bid to smuggle 48 black scorpion to Hong Kong foiled

Staff Report

KARACHI: Wildlife officials in Pakistan’s biggest and port city of Karachi on Tuesday foiled a bid to smuggle around 48 black scorpion packed in plastic jars to Hong Kong.

Officials of anti narcotic force recovered the species packed in the plastic jars from Jinnah International Airport, Karachi and were supposed to be taken through export cargo service. The official later informed Sindh Wildlife Department, the officials custodian of wildlife species in the province. The box full with the plastic jars, was posted from Mirpurkhas via state-run Pakistan Post.

The SWD lodged First Offensive Report and investigation is underway, said Investigation Officer Rashid Ahmed Khan, Game Officer SWD Sindh.

He said these species were on endangered list, banned and were banned species.

According to details obtained from the SWD, the insects were being smuggled through postal service. Abdul Rehman Azeemi booked the post for Hong Kong.

“The species were recovered from export cargo. They were hidden in small boxes,” he said. Investigation has been ordered in this respect, he informed.

SWD during 2016 registered around 50 cases of smuggling different endangered species, mainly migratory birds, being smuggled by the traffickers. These were being different parts of Sindh like Badin, Thatta, Larkana.